Taken
by sam spade-fitzgerald
Summary: Someone has taken SSA Reid and Prentiss ... will the team find them before the unsub breaks them? Torture ahead.
1. Gone

A/N: This story just won't stop bugging me… so I wrote it!

- - - -  
It had been a long week for the BAU team. They had been called to two back-to-back cases on opposite ends of the coast. Both had been tough cases and Hotch had ordered a much needed weekend off for everyone on the team.

Reid was glad he had decided to just head home after Hotch had dismissed them. Morgan, Rossi, and Emily had all headed out for drinks. He threw his messenger bag stuffed with files in the chair and laid his gun next to him on the couch. He fell back onto the couch, letting his head loll back and his eyes flutter shut.

- - - -  
Hotch smiled as he knelt down and accepted Jack's welcoming hug. Jack clung to his neck as Hotch stood up. Jessica couldn't help but smile at the sweetness of the embrace. She may have had her doubts about her sister's ex-husbands work hours, but no one could doubt his undying dedication and love for his son.

"Thanks again Jessica." Hotch's voice rumbled deep in his throat as Jack laid his head on his father's shoulder. She nodded her acknowledgement with a slightly weary look on her face as she headed for the door, picking up her coat that she had put next to the door. Hotch locked the door behind her and sank down on the coach as Jack wiggled out of his arms to play. Hotch felt happier than ever as he watched his son babble and play with his toys.

- - - -  
Emily yawned as the flicked the living room light on in her apartment. She, Rossi, and Morgan had all gone for drinks, but she hadn't realized how exhausted she was. It had been such a tough week for them. She couldn't wait to be able to sleep in the next morning and wake up in the middle of the day. She might just spend the entire day in her pajamas. She threw her keys in the bowl by the door and opened the drawer and slid her gun inside and started to walk back towards the bathroom.

"Hello Emily." A voice emerged from the darkness beyond the light's reach and jerked Emily into full awareness. With a quiet hiss, Emily winced at the sudden stinging pain in her chest. An icy fire spread from her shoulder through her entire body like a wildfire on a hungry rampage.

Emily tried to reach for her gun, but her arms were suddenly incredibly heavy. Her knees gave out and winced as he knees painfully hit the ground. She opened her mouth to scream, but it was like black screens were being painted on her eyes and then everything was gone.

Morgan let Clooney out immediately when he got into the house. Clooney immediately started barking at the half-dead rose bush that was wilting in the corner of Morgan's yard. Suddenly there was a rustle in the leaves and Morgan snapped into high alert.

"Who's there?" In a flash, Morgan pulled his gun out and clicked the safety off. With a high pitched screech, two straggly looking cats burst from the bush. Morgan let the gun fall to his side as he let out a shaky sigh. He was becoming more paranoid with each case, each passing day. "Come on Clooney, bed." A panting Clooney reluctantly plodded back towards the house and headed for the bedroom.

Morgan gave the backyard one last sweeping gaze, just to make sure. He couldn't shake this sudden, uneasy feeling. He made sure the dead bolt was in place, the blinds securely snapped shut, and flipped off the back porch light as he headed for bed.

Rossi was staring at the blank word document. He just couldn't figure out the jumble of words he was supposed to turning into his next book. Suddenly it was as though a large rock settled in his stomach. He knew that something was wrong. Something had happened. He glanced towards the safe where he had placed his gun. He knew grabbing his gun was being paranoid, but something was not sitting well with him. He glanced down at his cell phone and wondered whether he should just call Hotch and make sure that everything was okay, but he convinced himself that it was going to be okay.

- - - -  
Reid groaned as he managed to unfold himself into a sitting position on his couch. He had accidentally fallen asleep on the couch. He glanced towards the clock, where the time illuminated was 2:54. He started to stumble towards the bathroom to brush his teeth before he fell into bed. Most of his apartment was still washed in darkness except for the small lamp he had turned on when he had came in earlier.

"Well hello Dr. Reid." The edge of the intruder's face could be seen around the halo of darkness, an image that would be forever etched in Reid's eidetic memory.

"Who's there?" Reid wheeled around, grabbing blindly for where he had thrown his gun, but it was gone. He started to panic as he spun back around to see the intruder in his apartment.

"Looking for this?" The face's mouth grinned in a huge smirk. Reid snapped his head back around, knowing instantly where his gun was and saw the barrel of his own weapon glaring at him. With a loud crack, there was nothing but white as he fell to the ground.

- - - -  
Garcia didn't normally get this gut feeling when her babies were all in their homes and tucked into bed. She looked towards the pictures she had hung of her team. Their various states of irritability and laughter at having their picture taken made her smile. Even with the reassurance that they were in their individual homes did not make her feel any better.

She didn't want to disturb Derek, but she didn't feel safe. After she had broken up with Kevin, it had been a very lonely time. She pressed the speed dial after a few moments of hesitation and waited anxiously for him to pick up.

"Morgan." He answered sleepily. He sounded half-asleep. His voice was slurred and she felt incredibly guilty for waking him up when he got so little sleep already.

"It's me." Garcia said after a few seconds of silence. Her voice came out high-pitched. She hadn't realized how nervous she was. "I'm sorry I woke you up." She added quickly. She bit her lip, wondering if he was sitting in his bed rolling his eyes at her.

"What's wrong baby girl?" She could hear the rustle of the sheets as he sat up, his voice was instantly alert. She could hear the profiler in him roaring awake as he tried to assess what the danger was. She couldn't stop the tiny smile that graced her face as this thought crossed her mind,

"I uh, I just feel unsafe." She blushed as she said it. "Could you please just, uh, come stay with me?" She felt like a child reaching for a safety blanket. She pulled the rainbow colored blanket that she had thrown over her was pulled up to her neck.

"Yea baby girl. Give me fifteen minutes." Relief washed over her and she knew that everything would be okay. She walked to her closet to start pulling out cotton candy colored sheets for Derek to sleep on.

- - - -  
He smiled wickedly at the sleeping woman, if she only knew what was going to happen. It was such a shame. She was so beautiful. If only she knew what he was going to do to her.

- - - -  
Reid couldn't stop the moan of agony that slipped through his lips. There was a burning hole in his leg and he the position he was lying on the floor made the pain worse. He tried to push himself up, but the rattle of chains confused him He pulled in a shaky breath when he realized that his hands were wrapped tightly in chains and his leg was chained to a peg that was hammered into the wall. Pain burst in his leg as he tried to move. Groaning, he let the pain overwhelm him as his eyes fluttered shut.

Hope y'all enjoyed! Updates to follow


	2. Dark

A/N: Update! 

* * *

Reid jerked awake for the second time since he had been shot, kidnapped, and chained in this room. The room was bathed completely in black and he couldn't stop the tiny whimper that escaped from his lips. He hated the dark. He tried to move his arms from their awkward position, but the rattle of chains alerted him that he was not in his bedroom and then the pain hit like a freight train. His leg was burning and he remembered everything that had happened whenever he had been taken from his apartment. He wondered if the team had missed him or if anyone was looking for him yet.

"Reid, Reid, Reid." Reid froze. He couldn't see where the voice was coming from. The darkness was overwhelming. He turned his head around frantically, his scrambling hands finding the chain that bound his leg and tugging on it. He bit his lip to hold back the scream of pain he refused to let slip through his lips. He ran his fingers over his upper leg, making the touch feather light, trying to find the source of bleeding. An additional pulse of pain ripped up his leg and he winced as he wrapped his hands, putting pressure on the wound.

"Where are you?" Reid's voice cracked, already octaves above his usual voice. He could feel the terror he felt pulsating through his veins. He didn't know where he was, or even how long it had been. "What d you want with me?" He added when there was no reply.

"Scared of the dark?" The voice was right in his ear. Reid jerked, trying to get away, but the chains held him in place and the agony in his leg told him that he wasn't going to get anywhere fast. He didn't remember the last time he was shot hurting this much, but maybe that was because he had been lying in a comfy hospital bed only thirty minutes after being shot and from the congealing blood he felt on other parts of his pants leg, he had been here much longer than that.

"W-w-who are you?" Reid whimpered, trying to sound braver, tougher, like Morgan or Rossi or Hotch.

"I thought you FBI agents were supposed to be brave." Reid could almost hear the smirk in the voice as he shrank away from the sound. He ignored the fire in his leg as he tried to curl up in a ball. He didn't know when or where the person was going to strike. He wondered if the person was going to kill him. Maybe nobody would find his body; maybe he would end up another one of those cold cases who no one ever found out who did it. Reid forced those thoughts to the back of his head as he let happier memories prevail. Morgan, Hotch, Rossi, Emily, and JJ were going to come and kick this son of a bitch's ass to the curb and make him regret ever being born.

"Yo-you're the coward." Reid flinched when the voice let out a roaring laugh. Reid knew that he was just spitting out meaningless words. He was the one chained to the floor in a completely dark room and he didn't know where it was, what time it was, or who had taken him.

"I think I'll just leave you here for a little bit longer." The fading footsteps scared Reid. He didn't want to be left all alone in this room. He didn't really want this scary guy near him, but it was better than being completely alone. "Maybe you'll be compliant after a couple of days alone." Reid whimpered. He didn't care that he sounded like a child, he hated the dark, but the footsteps didn't slow down. He heard the creak of the door being opened, but not even a sliver of light escaped in. The slam of the door resounded in Reid's ears as he choked back a sob.

* * *

JJ rolled over, Will's arm slipping from around her as she felt around her bedside table for her buzzing phone. It felt like she had only just fallen asleep and she knew that the other BAU agents were handling cases so they could have the weekend off. "Jureau?" She cleared her throat in an effort to not sound so sleepy.

"You're lucky blondes aren't my type." The distorted voice that came through the phone jolted JJ from her sleepiness. She sat straight up in bed as she jolted into full awareness.

"Excuse me?" JJ leaned over and turned the light on, mouthing 'sorry' to Will who sat up in the shock of the sudden light. He started to rub her back as he looked at her curiously. JJ was supposed to have the weekend off, which meant no calls in the middle of the night.

"Your brunette teammates are not so lucky." The click of the phone announced the end of the call and JJ stared at the phone in confusion for a few moments before she was pressing the speed dial for Hotch.

* * *

"What's wrong JJ?" He knew that something must be wrong if she was calling at 3:25 in the morning. He rolled out of bed, making sure he didn't jostle Jack, who had fallen asleep next to him while they watched a movie together. He hadn't been able to shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen and didn't want Jack to be all alone.

"I just got a call from someone who said 'your brunette teammates are not so lucky' after telling me I'm lucky blondes aren't his type." JJ said in one big breath. Will's eyes grew huge as he listened to her side of the conversation. "Emily and Spence are brunette." She said, her voice going up about an octave.

"Call both Reid and Prentiss. I'm going to get Morgan and Rossi to check out both of their houses." JJ nodded, before realizing that Hotch couldn't see her.

"I'll call you back if I can't reach either of them." JJ hung up the phone quickly. She pressed the speed dial for Reid, but it went directly to voicemail. She left a frantic message, telling him that he needed to get in contact with her or Hotch as soon as he got this message. She called Emily next but again, it went to voicemail, so she left an almost identical message. Hotch was the next phone call she made.

"Hotch, no answer. The both went straight to voicemail." JJ was biting her lip in her worry and panic. She tried to believe that maybe Reid and Emily were in bed or their phones or died, or maybe they had left their phones at home, but she knew better. Whoever had just called her had her friends and they were going to have to get them back.

"Get to the office now." Hotch replied immediately before hanging up. JJ took a deep breath as she started to get out of bed but Will grabbed her arm and pulled her down on top of him.

"I love you." He said as he gave her a kiss. She let him hug her for a minute before getting up. "Let me know if I can help." JJ gave him a small smile. He could see how spooked she was and he knew how special Spencer and Emily were to him. He fell back in bed as he watched her almost run out of their room in her hurry to make sure her teammates and friends, her family, were safe.

* * *

Emily felt as though someone had laid her carefully on a cloud and she was drifting along in a light breeze. She wondered how long she had been in this place. She struggled to remember what had been happening before she had ended up here.

"Emily darling, it's time to wake up." She flinched when someone touched her cheek. Suddenly everything that had happened before she had been brought here came back to her in a rush. She blinked as everything started to come into focus. "Don't you remember me?" Emily struggled to sit up but she had been chained tightly to a table.

"Who-who are you?" She said, still struggling to try to get up even though whatever was holding her to the table refused to give even an inch. She fixed her glare on the hooded figure above her, trying to make out his face. She had no clue who had taken her.

"You're going to regret forgetting me." Even though Emily couldn't quite make out the face of her kidnapper, she could tell he was smirking. He turned quickly on his heel as he walked towards a cabinet that was just out of Emily's eyesight. She turned her head to the side but all she could see was him in front of a metal cabinet and swallowed nervously.

"Even if you kill me, my team will hunt you down." Emily's voice shook, and she knew that this man wasn't going to take her seriously. She looked up, her eyes widening in fear when she saw the scalpel he had clenched tightly in his hand.

"Do you fear pain Emily?" She tried to stop the tremors that were running up and down her body. He seized her left hand and held it flat against the table as he stabbed it with the scalpel. Emily couldn't stop the scream of pain that erupted from her. Tears sprang in her eyes as he slowly pulled the knife out. She took a deep breath as she tried to overcome the pain that was pulsing through her body.

"You bastard!" She screeched as he started to circle the table. She frantically moved her head, trying to figure out where he was going to strike next. She could feel that blood slowly dripping from her hand. She screamed again when he slowly slid the knife across her leg, cutting through her jeans and leaving a thin line of blood behind.

"Shh Emily, being rude won't get you anywhere." He said as though Emily was a small child who needed disciplining. She gritted her teeth together to stop from giving the satisfaction of screaming again when he plunged the knife painfully into her lower leg. She gasped in pain when he twisted the knife, before pulling it out and starting to circle. "If you promise to be quiet, I'll leave you alone for a while."

"Go to hell." She wasn't going to let him win. She wasn't weak. She shrunk back when he stopped at her head, putting his hands beside her head and leaning over her. She got her first real glimpse of his face, distorted by a sheer mask. The green eyes seemed to glow through the mask at her and she knew exactly who he was. "Christopher Masterson." He had asked her out countless times, but she had thought he was a creep and always turned him down.

"Good girl." He patted her head, like she was some type of dog. She wished she could jump off this table and rip the smirk right off his face. She wasn't a damn dog and she wasn't going to let him get away with this. Whenever he unchained her, she was going to kick his ass. He wiped the blood off of the scalpel on the edge of shirt before he walked calmly to the cabinet and replaced it in the cabinet. Emily shuddered as she caught a glimpse of the vast torture objects that were inside. She hoped that the team would find her before Christopher got to any of the other instruments inside. "I'll see you later Emily." He walked over to a door and slipped out of the door. She heard the ominous click of a lock and she knew that she was alone.

* * *

"Your teammate figured out who I was, can you?" Spencer jolted from the restless sleep he had fallen into. He was still sitting up, his body slumped to one side. He sat straight up, looking around to see where the voice might be coming from, but the room was still completely bathed in darkness.

"I, I can't even see your face. How am I su-supposed to know?" He couldn't help the nervous stutter that crept back into his voice. Then something the man said registered with him. "Wh-who else do you have?" He carefully held his arms out, wondering if they were in the same room.

"Do you really think I would be stupid enough to put two of you in one room?" Reid yelped when the man smacked the back of his head. "I knew you weren't as smart as everyone thinks you are." Reid screamed once in pain when the man pushed him over, wrenching his shot leg painfully. Reid didn't even have a chance to prepare himself before the man was kicking him in the stomach and the chest. Reid tried to wrap his arms around his stomach, but the chains were now twisted and he couldn't protect himself from the barrage.

"Stop, stop." Reid wheezed, trying to force the words out. He had definitely heard several cracks that scared him and he was having a lot of trouble breathing. He coughed harshly, tasting the metallic taste of blood in the back of his throat and started wondering if he would ever see his team, or light again.

"Think closely Spencer." Reid wished he could just see his face. He knew he would recognize him if only he could see his face, but it was so dark and he was having trouble focusing. When the man kicked him again, this time connecting with the side of his head, he didn't fight the new darkness that overwhelmed him and sent him falling.

* * *

A/N: thanks for reading!


	3. Good Bye

InsideYourDreams24: I hope this chapter clears up a little bit! I appreciate the review!

Markiemoo: Thanks for the review! I am glad you think it's great!

Alice Smith14: Next season is going to be even better! The girls will be back and Thomas Gibson is back on board! I'm excited! I hope I am living up to your potential!

((Anonymous)): Thanks so much! I'm trying my best to update!

greekrose: I'm trying to not keep you in suspense too long! : ) I hope you like this chapter!

((Anonymous)): Thanks! I guess you'll have to keep reading to see if they do! : )

bb1028: Thanks so much! I hope this update is a good one for you!

montydam: I hope this clears up some of your questions! Thanks for your review! I appreciate it!

* * *

"Do you think they are together?" JJ was beyond devastated. The two people other than Will and Henry she considered family had vanished into thin air. For all they knew, they were dead, but she was trying hard not to think about them being dead. She wasn't sure she would make it if they were murdered.

"I hope so." Garcia was clutching a large yellow duck that Emily had given her as a gag gift one Christmas, makeup smeared down her face. Those were her babies out there and she couldn't stand the thought of someone hurting them. Someone had already hurt Reid. The crime lab had confirmed it the blood belonged to a Spencer Reid.

"Baby girl, we're going to get them back." Morgan said. He was trying to stay strong for Garcia, but on the inside he was crying and screaming. Reid was his best friend, his brother, and he considered Emily one of his closest friends. He didn't even know if they were still alive.

* * *

"Sleep well Emily?" Emily barely managed to stifle the scream when she was torn from her fitful sleep. Christopher was leaning over her, his nasty sneer in place. "Your teammate is still behind you, he hasn't figured out who I am yet."

"Let them go, you don't need two of us." Emily tried to keep her voice level. Christopher just laughed and shook his head. These stupid profilers thought that they were so brave. They thought they were so special.

"Oh Emily, you silly, silly girl." He said in a patronizing tone, his eyes starting to drift towards the cabinet that held all of his instruments of torture. He wanted to stay on schedule.

"My team is going to hunt you down. You're going to regret the day you were born." Emily wished she could shoot fire from her eyes. She wished she knew who was here with her. She hoped that Christopher would get careless later on and put the two of them together. She wanted to make sure that whoever it was, wasn't hurt too badly.

"They're not going to ever find me." He was too smart for them. They had turned over his obvious smarts for a skinny kid who looked like he was still in middle school. He probably never did anything right. Emily was just too blind to see that he was the right man for her. He was perfect in anyway.

"They will." Emily had unwavering faith that the rest of the team would find her. She just hoped it would be in time.

* * *

Reid was quivering, his body rebelling against the pain. He had picked through the voice for what felt like days. There was something subtle that reminded him of someone, but he couldn't remember who. He didn't think it was an unsub. He wished his brain would clear so that he could think straight.

"I just spoke with your teammate. They seem to think your team is gonna come and rescue you." Reid hated that this man could just slip in and out and he never heard him coming. There was no creaky door, no slip of light, nothing. If Morgan was here, he would have told the man off. Reid just bit his lip and hoped he didn't get hit again.

"They will." Reid swallowed. He knew that he was going to get smacked, but he wanted to be brave. Maybe if he took the wrath of the man, whoever was here with him would be spared.

"Funny." The man sneered, "You profilers think that you are _so_ special, but in the end, you're nothing more than a group of people with their thumbs up their asses." Reid yelped as the man's foot lashed out, catching him right in the rib cage. The breath was knocked out of him and he groaned.

"Christopher." Reid managed to spit out. He remembered now. The exact words Christopher Masterson had spoken as he stormed out of the trials. He had been dismissed, several times. Reid had made the team over him. Then, he had returned, asking for a place when he had heard of Elle's departure, but Hotch had barely even let the man finish asking before dismissing him.

"Well done, took you long enough." Christopher clapped once; the sound resonated like a gunshot. "Now, it's time for you to make a statement." There was a rattle of chains, a yelp of pain from Reid and then Reid was on his feet. Reid could feel the blood starting to drip down his leg.

"What do you mean?" Reid hoped the man would let him sit down soon; each step was like fire was shooting up his wounded leg. "What do you want from me?" He tried to not let his voice climb any higher than it already was.

"You're going to tell the team exactly what's written on the paper." Christopher handed Reid a crumpled piece of paper. Reid quickly scanned the paper and gulped, it couldn't get any worse than this.

* * *

"Guys!" Garcia screamed, attracting the attention of all of the BAU agents, along with many of the other agents in the bullpen.

"What baby girl?" Morgan knelt over Garcia, wanting to scream at the sight on the screen. "What the hell?" He threw his arms up, running them over his almost bald head.

"Oh God!" JJ gagged. She froze for a second then lunged for the trash can. Rossi laid a hand on her back, carefully pulling her ponytail back from her face, as he averted his eyes from the screen.

"Press play." Hotch said, his finger and thumb pressed between his eyes. He just wanted this God-awful day to be over with so that he could go home and read a story to Jack, tuck him into bed, and give him a kiss.

"My name is SSA Dr. Spencer Reid. I am being held here because I am an insufferable know-it-all. I am sorry that you have all had to be graced with my company over all of these years. I am going to die because I did not deserve the position that I have had. I won this job out because I am a huge suck up. I am sure you guys will find someone better fast." Tears were pouring down the young genius's face, from both pain and the knowledge, he would never see the team, his family, again.

For what seemed like eternity, no one moved. The tape ended and turned the whole screen into white fuzz, but Garcia didn't move. That was their brother and best friend on the screen, and it could be the last time that they ever saw him alive.

* * *

Emily twisted her wrist for what seemed like the thousandth time. Her wrist felt like it was one big open sore, but she couldn't give up. For her sake, and her unknown teammates, she had to keep trying. Christopher had gone off the deep end and it didn't look like he was ever coming back.

"Emily, it's time for your onscreen debut." Christopher said almost like a greeting as he walked into the room where Emily was still strapped to the table.

"What the hell do you mean?" Emily was frustrated. She wanted to get out of here. Christopher was obviously mentally unstable and that worried her more than she was trying to let on. He was so volatile that he could go off at any time and that made her extremely nervous.

"You're gonna say good-bye to your team." Christopher answered as he roughly unhooked one of her arms. He made sure to cuff her feet together before turning her over, slamming her down onto the table again to hook her arms behind her. He slung her over his shoulder, ignoring the small cry of pain she emitted.

"My name is SSA Emily Prentiss. I am being held because I should never have been allowed to join the FBI. My mom got this job for me because I am not qualified for this position I stole from other candidates. I know you will replace me with someone who is competent enough to do the job." Emily bit her lip, trying to stop the tears. She didn't want her team to remember her as someone who was weak.

"That's good." The man crooned on-screen. The entire team went stiff. This was the first time they had heard the kidnapper's voice. They all flinched as his face came into clear view. It was obvious he thought they couldn't catch him. "BAU, you wouldn't accept the greatest genius to walk the planet, but you would let these two whiny wimps join your team. I have realized, I'm better than your team. I'm more amazing alone than your whole team is together."

"He's one crazy son-of-a-bitch." Morgan's firsts were clenched so tightly, he thought that his hands were going to start bleeding. This bastard was not going to get away with this.

"One hour 'til the world is a better place, without the two of you." Christopher sneered as he threw Emily down onto the harsh concrete floor, grinning at the nasty crack her head made as it connected with the floor before slamming the door shut behind him.

"Emily?" Reid's expression was filled with horror and worry. He grunted as his arms gave out underneath him. The blood loss was staggering and he felt like his arms were made out of jelly.

"R-Reid?" Emily rolled over, flopping onto her stomach, squeezing her eyes shut to try to make the world around her stop spinning. "Oh God, you're bleeding." She scooted closer to Reid, her head felt like a million pound weight.

"I'm okay, how are you?" He could see the cuts. "Did, are, were, did you have to umm, you know, say goodbye?" Reid had to blink away the tears. He wanted to be brave for Emily.

"Yea," Emily's heart panged on the one syllable word. She knew unless the team got there soon, she wouldn't ever see them again. "The team is going to find us." She wanted to sound confident, but she knew that Reid could see through her wavery voice.

"They will." Reid didn't voice that the worst case would be the team simply doing a body recovery. "I'm glad I'm not alone." He said quietly. He hated that Christopher had managed to get two of them, but he was grateful to not be alone.

"Me too." Emily said, giving Reid a genuine smile. She carefully looked at the gun-shot wound on Reid's leg. It hadn't hit a major artery, but it needed medical attention, soon.

* * *

"Christopher Masterson." Hotch announced. He had pushed himself out of the chair, his hands clenching and relaxing. He kicked the bench, startling the whole team. Hotch might as well have just thrown a temper tantrum. He rarely, if ever, lost his temper. He kept his emotions to himself.

"Son of a bitch." Morgan almost growled as he resisted punching the wall. They all remembered the man who had been desperate to get into the BAU. He remembered when Reid had joined the team; the man had berated him, teased him, and humiliated him at every opportunity.

"We knew he had narcissistic tendencies, but I never suspected he was capable of anything like this." Hotch sat down again, in complete control again. "Garcia, bring up his chart."

"Yes sir." Garcia almost jumped onto her computer, typing the name in and quickly funneling it down to the one they were looking for. "He's been in and out of mental hospitals."

"He tried to get into the BAU?" Rossi was out of the loop. He was the newest member and didn't know anything about the man whose picture Garcia had put up on the screens.

"He was too mentally unstable." Hotch said, remembering the outburst from Christopher when he was told that another agent had gotten the job. They had eventually alerted the security desk the man was not allowed up on their floor anymore. He hadn't ever been seen as a threat, but now he had two of the best agents Hotch had seen and Hotch was scared he might never see them again.

* * *

A/N: Hope I cleared up at least a little bit of the mystery surrounding Christopher Masterson. If you want any specific details explained, make sure to include it in your review. : )


	4. Wither

A/N: All I have to say is college. Amazing, but so time consuming, incredibly time consuming! Hope you guys enjoy! (I really wanted to make this chapter seem really choppy because I felt that it was the best way to convey what was going on.) If anything seems contradictory, then it'll be explained in the next chapter.

* * *

"Do you think he is listening?" Emily whispered into Reid's ear. They were huddled carefully together in the corner furthest from the door. They were both hoping against hope that the next person who came bursting through the door would be a member of their team. They hoped to hear the sound of the door being broken down, most likely by a pissed-off Morgan, and this nightmare would be over.

"Probably." Reid whispered back. He was incredibly scared this might be the last human contact he would ever receive. He was trying to ignore the pain in his leg, but he knew that he was steadily getting weaker and weaker. He wondered how much more time he had before he bled out or Christopher came back for them.

"Do you think he is really going to kill us?" Emily was normally so confident. She had been faced with some terrible situations before, but she had never been so sure in her life that she was going to die. She wondered what her mother would think when the news was broken to her. She would keep her face straight, not betraying her emotions, but when the doors were shut, would she shed a few tears? Would she postpone or cancel any of her social events, or would she just keep going? Emily knew Garcia would break down, the whole team would. They had become more of her family in the last year than her mother had ever been during her childhood.

"I don't know." Reid didn't want to tell Emily that he didn't think they were going to get out of this. He knew the team was working non-stop, but he wasn't sure that it was enough. All he hoped was the he and Emily would go quickly. He knew someone from their team would take care of his mother. He knew it made him weak, but he hoped whatever Christopher did to them, it would be fast. He didn't want this torture to be dragged out any longer.

* * *

"Who was Christopher close with?" Hotch was pacing in front of a blank whiteboard with Christopher's name written at the top. After Hotch had recognized the man on the camera, their approach had completely changed. Hotch remembered Christopher saying several times that he had no family, no close friends, no ties away from the FBI that would interfere with being the best profiler. They were now looking for one of the most dangerous types of criminals out there, one with nothing to lose.

"Christopher was a loner." Morgan shut his eyes, trying to remember. He had mingled with the potential BAU members, trying to weed out those who were unfit by how they interacted with others. They needed someone who was a team player, someone who could get along well with others. They had ended up not choosing anyone that day, deciding to run a member short for a while and try again at a later date.

"I only remembered him talking to a few of the girls, but they all shot him down." JJ thought back to that time. While Emily had not gone through the common "trial", Christopher had hit on her repeatedly after being turned down for the team. He had been desperate to get closer to the profilers, almost like a fan trying to get backstage passes to his favorite singer. He would s He had disappeared abruptly after Emily had set him straight.

"He dropped off the grid right after being turned down for the second time." Garcia reported. Christopher had emptied all of his bank accounts and cancelled his credit cards. He had sold his house and his car. He didn't have anything in the system after quitting the FBI. "There isn't anything here to trace him."

"Let's release his face and name to the media. Someone has to recognize him." Hotch added, trying to not let his optimism show too soon. JJ nodded and pulled out her cellphone as she left the room.

* * *

"Which one of you guys wants to die first?" Christopher was back in the doorway. He had a large knife in his hand and was carefully poking the palm of his other hand with it. He didn't want to rush anything. He had all the time in the world. He just couldn't wait to hear their screams, he shuddered in anticipation. He had been waiting for this day for a very long time.

"Our team is going to find us before you have time." Emily said, her voice clipped and short, trying to keep all of her emotions reined in. Reid was shivering quietly beside her. He was deteriorating fast. The bullet wound in his leg was still refusing to clot. Her wounds weren't bleeding anymore, however painful they were, she wasn't losing the life-giving fluid.

"Do you really think so?" Christopher took a step closer towards the agents. He didn't have any urgency behind his movements, which unnerved the agents even more. He was beyond cocky. "I think I'll start with the little boy." Christopher smirked as he stepped in front of the two agents. He reached out and yanked Reid to his feet by a handful of his hair, ignoring the shout from Reid.

"Take me!" Emily screamed, trying to get to her feet before a vicious kick to the head sent her slamming into the wall behind her. She moaned as she slid down the wall and her eyes unfocused before fluttering shut.

"Fighters are better." Christopher smirked as he threw Reid over his shoulder, leaving Reid to look back in horror at his unconscious team member and friend. The glimmer of hope Reid had held onto was quickly slipping away.

* * *

"Someone recognized Christopher and called him in." Morgan said as he came sprinting into the conference room. "It's also how he has been staying so under the radar."

"Who is it?" Hotch asked as he entered the room behind Morgan. The team all looked at Morgan expectantly. They didn't care if they had to crawl on their hands and knees through the desert to get their friends back alive.

"His mother, she told us he's living in her basement. He's been giving her money to help with the bills, but that's why there is nothing under his name." Morgan said, sounding almost exuberant. He was already strapping on the bullet proof vests that they "She doesn't live too far away."

"Let's go. SWAT will meet us there." Hotch said as he pulled out his cell phone as the team ran from the room, hoping that they were in time.

* * *

"My team will kill you." Reid coughed, blood dripped from his mouth. He knew that Christopher had nicked one of his lungs with the last stab he had taken. He took a wheezy, shallow breath before another coughing fit took ahold of him. Blood bubbled from his mouth as he realized that this was it. Christopher carefully laid the knife down on the table next to Reid. Far enough away that Reid couldn't reach it, but close enough that it taunted him. Reid tried to not look at his body. Christopher had done so much damage that Reid wondered if he had a chance of recovering.

"They'll never even figure out where I am." Christopher smirked. He was the mastermind of criminals. Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dalmer, Charles Manson had all gotten caught, but he wouldn't. They all had flaws in their plans, and he didn't. He was smarter than them and the BAU had overlooked him and undermined him, but they would regret that mistake until the days that they died.

"Yes, they will." Reid gritted his teeth against the pain as he struggled to breathe. He knew that he didn't have much time, but the longer that he held on, the less time Christopher had with Emily. If he could spare Emily, maybe the team wouldn't remember him as a coward.

* * *

"His mother says that he's in the basement right now. She had no idea that her loving son had become this monster. She had allowed her son to come back and live with her, but she had had no idea what horrors he had been dreaming up. She has gone to a neighbor's house and left the door unlocked. We have free reign of the house." Hotch reported, a grim smile on his face as the team sped toward the Masterson residence.

"How could she not know?" JJ said sadly, there wasn't any accusation in her voice, but sadness. This woman's life had just been ripped apart and would never be the same. If she had maybe seen the signs her son had exhibited, she could have gotten him some help.

"Love overlooks all." Rossi said, his voice softer than JJ had ever heard. They all knew the grisly scene that potentially was before them.

"Next right." Morgan said looking down at the GPS, he had clenched his teeth together so that no one would know that his teeth were chattering in fear. His best friends could be dying and they were so close now. They just had to be there in time, they just had to be.

"You deserve this." Christopher whispered as he reached down to touch Reid's cheek, almost like a caress. "It's all your fault." He repeated, before reaching for the bloody knife again. He tenderly started carving into the boy's abdomen, whistling as he did. He took exceptional care that the cuts weren't deep enough to cause a huge amount of blood loss, but deep enough to cause an extensive amount of pain. Reid kept holding his screams in, he couldn't just give in, if he did, then Christopher won.

* * *

"It's not." Reid defiantly spoke up. He was trying so hard not to give into Christopher. Christopher kept telling him that he was a failure as a profiler and he didn't deserve to be a profiler. He had repeated over and over that he wasn't deserving of the life that he had been given and he deserved a much worse and slower death than this.

"You are the most worthless thing I've ever set my eyes on. Worms do more good in their life than you ever wish you could." Christopher leaned in, his face only inches from Reid's face. Reid tried not to pull back as spittle flew and hit his face. He met Christopher's stare, trying to be brave. He saw his mother's face flash before his eyes. He knew that this was it. He only hoped Emily's death was quicker.

The sound of the door slamming was the best sound he had ever heard. He turned his head instinctively away from the door as pieces went flying. Morgan flew in the room, rage oozing off of him. He stormed towards Christopher, yanking the knife out of his hand and taking him down to the ground so fast, Reid almost missed it. He let out a sigh of relief. He knew everything was okay, but his eyes were so heavy all of a sudden. He gagged, blood came rushing out of his mouth. Through the fast fading light, he could see Hotch and JJ rushing towards him, but they were sliding further and further out of focus, and then, everything was black.

A/N: One last cliffy! I think the next chapter will be the last! Any suggestions of what I should add in? …If anyone actually reads this!


	5. Saved

A/N: Thank you guys so much for the nomination! I am honored for my story to be nominated. I can't thank you guys enough! Also, thanks for the reviews, favorites, and alerts! I really appreciate them! Oh and I lied, there will be one more chapter after this!

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T Mac: Thanks! Hope you continue to like my story! Thanks for the review!

Guest: Thanks! I am glad that you took the time to review and I really appreciate it!

Everyday i'm shuffling: sorry about the cliffhanger! thanks for the review!

Nerd-Herd-27: Sorry for the mean cliff hanger! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Tumbler101: no one likes cliffhangers : ( sooo i didn't make this one a cliffhanger! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

mcleagan: here's another update as well! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Lune-a R. Skye: I appreciate your feedback! It's really nice to hear from my readers! Thanks!

Pottyandweezlbe89: haha and here's one more!

Anonymous: Thanks! I am glad that you like this and here's another update for you! (Sorry the review was left unsigned)

Katrina: I wouldn't kill him! That would be so sad! I tried to cut the time down between the updates. I hate having so much on my plate. I love to write!

Lolyncut: I really appreciate that you took the time and kept faith in my story! I am not adding anyone else in : ) I am trying so hard to keep this story updated for you guys!

Honorcpt: Aw thanks! I am so glad that people are still reading! Sorry about the cliffhanger! I hope this wasn't too long!

RiverCut11: Thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

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"Reid!" Morgan dropped the unconscious Christopher to the ground, not caring that he hit the ground, his head bouncing with a loud crack. He pressed down harshly on Reid's wound, hoping to hear anything, even if it was a moan of pain. JJ ran towards the cabinet on the far wall and started throwing the contents on the floor below her, looking for the keys to free Reid. Hotch secured Christopher and ran from the room to find the paramedics. He hoped that Rossi and the SWAT team had gotten Emily, but he would have to check after he found the paramedics, Reid didn't have much time.

"Where are the damn paramedics!" Hotch screamed as he passed SWAT team members. If the paramedics hadn't been cleared to enter the building yet, Hotch was clearing them. Reid was not going to die in this basement. Hotch was not going to let another agent die on his watch. He remembered having Kate's blood all over his hands and he hadn't been able to do a damn thing to stop her from bleeding out on the asphalt of a random street.

"Here!" He heard the voice down the hall. A paramedic came running around the corner, pulling the gurney behind him. Hotch turned and showed them where to go. He pushed himself against the wall, making sure he was out of their way. They started attaching things to Reid and yelling out stats that sounded grim.

"Where's Emily?" Hotch turned to look at JJ who was shaking, crying, but trying to stay out of the paramedic's way. The paramedics were working furiously over the young agent.

"I'm fine." Emily was being half-carried by Rossi. She looked far from fine. Blood had congealed on the side of her head and she was incredibly pale, but she was standing on shaky legs. "Reid?" She tried to peer around Hotch, but he blocked her view. She didn't need to see him. He could already see the guilt in her eyes.

"He's gonna be okay. You need medical attention." Hotch waved a second set of paramedics over. Rossi pushed her down on the gurney, ignoring her protests. They quickly bandaged her wounds, started an IV, and prepared to transport her.

"I don't need to go to the hospital." Emily tried to get off the gurney, but Hotch stepped closer to her. He gave her such a severe look, that she sunk back onto the gurney and allowed herself to be wheeled towards an awaiting ambulance. She hadn't realized just how exhausted she was until she sank back against the pillow. The normally scratchy sheet felt almost like silk against her tired body.

"He's lost so much blood." One of the paramedics yelled out. Hotch cringed when he looked back in the room. A third set of paramedics had arrived and were trying to keep pressure on Reid's wounds. He had been intubated and there was an IV attached to his arm.

"He doesn't deserve this." JJ mumbled. They had been pushed out of the way and was crying, Morgan's arms around her. He was fighting tears, hoping against hope that his best friend would get up and mouth off some statistic about chest wounds or something, anything. He would gladly sit through any length of lecture Reid wanted to give. He just wanted to hear his voice. "Please let him be okay." She repeated this several times until her voice cracked and she broke down into sobs.

* * *

The team had been waiting in this emergency room too many times. They had sat in these hard back plastic chairs, all wondering what they could have done differently, all wondering if everything was going to turn out okay. Garcia was curled up with Morgan, who had his head resting on top of her head. Hotch was standing by the window, his feet planted firmly against the ground so they wouldn't knock together. JJ was underneath a blanket, staring off into space. Rossi was beside of JJ, his hands folded neatly in his lap, his eyes never wavering from them. They were all in a corner, drawing from each other, even though the room was silent.

"Could we have stopped this?" Rossi spoke up, finally breaking the silence, asking the question that everyone was thinking.

"We did the right thing." Hotch answered. In his own head, he was wondering if it is was his fault that Prentiss and Reid had to go through the hell they had had to go through. He should have seen that Christopher was a psychopath. He had instinctively known something was wrong from the first time he laid eyes on him.

"Mrs. Prentiss and Mr. Reid?" The doctor read from the chart. The two people that he had treated had been in bad shape. JJ's heart sank, scared that the news wasn't going to be good. The team stood up, moving closer to the doctor, eager for the news.

"Mrs. Prentiss's stab wounds have been stitched and bandaged. She has a concussion and has been admitted overnight. She has requested for you all to see her. She is in room 452." The doctor still hadn't looked at them. Hotch had to stop himself from telling the doctor that he needed to gain some people skills. "Mr. Reid-"

"It's actually Dr. Reid. They're FBI agents." JJ said in a clipped tone, flashing the doctor her badge. She hated when people didn't give Reid the proper title he deserved.

"Excuse me, Dr. Reid has a chest tube to help drain his lung. His leg has been casted up to the hip and his other wounds are bandaged." The doctor finally locked eyes with Hotch, but looked away after a few moments of silence. "He has not gained consciousness and is still in the ICU. We allow two visitors at a time. When you are ready to see him, the ICU is at the end of this hallway, on the right."

"As soon as possible, we want them moved to a room together." Hotch spoke up.

"Yes sir." The doctor knew better than to argue. He knew he didn't want to get any further on the bad side of the agents in front of him. The doctor gave them a nod before hurrying off.

"I want to see Reid." JJ and Morgan spoke up at the same time. Everyone else nodded. They were the ones who had found Reid.

"We'll go see Prentiss." Rossi spoke up. The three of them walked towards the elevator, while JJ and Morgan headed down the hallway.

* * *

"How's Reid?" Prentiss looked a hundred times better already than she had earlier. Her left hand was in a thick cast and her leg was propped up on pillows. She had an IV running in the crook of her elbow and the color was slowly returning to her face.

"Emily! I was so worried!" Garcia rushed towards Prentiss, restraining herself from snatching her into a hug. Prentiss cautiously held her arms open and Garcia gave her a careful hug.

"How are you feeling?" Garcia tucked the teddy bear she had been clutching in beside Prentiss. Prentiss gave her a small smile before focusing back on Hotch's face, knowing he would give her a straight answer.

"Reid isn't out of the woods yet, but he's going to be fine." Hotch said.

"When can I see him?" Prentiss was eager to get out of this stupid gown. She wanted to get back to her apartment and sleep.

"You're going to be here overnight." Hotch didn't leave room for argument. Prentiss knew that it was his way of conveying his worry. While he may come across as a drill sergeant, everyone knew that he cared about his team more than anything in his life except for his son. They also knew that he would do anything to keep them safe.


	6. Healing

s/N: Not sure if you guys are still out there reading, but finally got an update for this story. I think that my homework level has reached the level of insanity. I'm spending about 30 hours a week on my homework. That's more than I work :/ (That's another 22 or so). Thanks for the reviews, alerts, and favorites! Sorry if this chapter seemed like it was a little rushed, I didn't want to stretch it out into another chapter! Hope you all have enjoyed this story!

A/N 2: So I haven't seen this season at all. I have gotten a handle on my school work and do you guys think I'll be able to get back in the flow of things or should I start back at the beginning? Or, what episodes do I absolutely need to see? Thanks! (I wrote this author's note when I started the chapter. I have now seen the first 7 episodes, but I am slowly trying to catch up!)

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annie rules: Here is another chapter for you! Hope you enjoy this one as well! Thanks for the review!

pipinheart: Thanks! I hate leaving Spencer in a mess :/ but it's onto healing for him! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

Nerd-Herd-27: I agree. If you look at my favorite Criminal Minds stories, then they are all basically Reid/someone else getting hurt then the healing part! Thanks! I really like this story. I didn't end this one in a cliffhanger either!

Mcleagan: Thanks so much! It makes me feel great when people take the time to review!

Zena-Xina: Thanks! I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

I think there might have been a few other reviews that were for previous chapters, are new reviews, and I'm sorry I can't figure out who they are for some reason! Thanks for those too! I appreciate all the reviews that I get! They really help inspire me to write!

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Reid wasn't sure the last time that his body hurt this badly. He felt like his body had been dipped in gasoline and lit on fire. He was like one raw nerve that was being scrubbed against sandpaper, but he was scared to open his eyes, terrified that the blackness was going to be all that was waiting. He was scared that Morgan and the rest of the team running towards him had been a twisted mirage and he was really still trapped in the never ending pitch black darkness. He was scared he would open his eyes and he and Emily would still be cuddled together in that corner, waiting for their death.

"Reid?" Reid recognized that voice, but his heart sank. Did that mean that they were still trapped in that basement? Did that mean that Christopher hadn't come back yet and they were still waiting to die? "I-It's Emily." She sounded like she was worried and exhausted, but her voice had lost the terrified edge that it had while they were in that room, so sure they were about to die.

"W-where are we?" Reid still didn't open his eyes. He knew it was childish, but as long as he didn't open his eyes, it wasn't true if he hadn't been rescued. If he just kept his eyes shut, it would be his protective cocoon and nothing could touch him. He wasn't quite sure where he was, but the beeping sounds from unknown machines and the smell of antiseptic and cleaning products made him cautiously optimistic that he was in the hospital.

"We're in the hospital." Emily's voice was full of relief. She had been so worried about Reid. She had been moved to Reid's room after her non-stop demands to see him. He was hooked up to several machines, but she was relieved to see he was at least breathing on his own, with a nasal cannula threaded underneath his nose. He would be in the hospital for a while, but he was going to be okay. The doctors had assured the whole team multiple times.

"Spence?" Reid's heart leapt with joy. That was a voice he knew. He opened his eyes to see JJ rushing over to him. The blanket that had been around her fell to the ground. "Hey." She gave him a huge smile. JJ had to stop herself from jumping into the bed with him and hugging him. "I have been so worried!"

"We all have. How you feeling pretty boy?" Morgan's grin could have lit up the whole room. He felt his heart soar as he saw Reid's eyes open. Even though Reid was still deathly pale and had tubes running from his body, Morgan knew he was on the mend. He couldn't get the image of Reid lying lifeless in that basement. He felt like he could finally start to relax from the tension that had built up. They were all running on fumes but no one wanted to sleep until they knew that their youngest team member would be okay.

"I'm, I'm okay." Reid gave them a small smile. He felt like his body was breaking apart, but that wasn't something he wanted to announce to the whole team. He could see from the bags underneath everyone's eyes and the pain in their eyes that they didn't need anything else to worry about. He shifted uncomfortable under their gazes and tried to keep the conversation from becoming focused on him. "How are you, Emily?" He hoped that however he got in this room, Christopher hadn't had a chance to hurt her anymore.

"Don't lie." Morgan raised his eyebrow and fixed his gaze on Reid. While Reid had the appearance of a young college kid, he was one of the strongest people that Morgan knew. Reid would hide his feelings and put it all in a bubble before he came out and told anyone. Morgan would have to spend hours with Reid before he would open up about the emotional toll this had taken on him. Reid squirmed before re-answering the question.

"It hurts." Reid said in a quiet voice. He wished he could tell them how much it hurt on the inside. He was terrified every time that he shut his eyes he would open them to the endless blackness. He just wished he could go back to the time when he was a child and his mother would have him cuddle up next to her and they would spend hours reading.

"The doctor can give you more pain medicine." JJ offered, rubbing her thumb on Reid's hand. Rossi had already left the room to alert the doctor that Reid had woken up. The doctor had told them to come get him immediately. Garcia was wiping a few tears of happiness from her eyes and had left several imprints of pink lipstick on Reid's cheeks and forehead. Morgan felt like he was a little kid on Christmas morning. Everything was going to be okay. Hotch had even cracked a smile. The doctor came in and a few minutes later, Emily had been released and Reid was having his chest tube taken out. He would be in the hospital for a few more days, resting much more comfortably with aid from the increased morphine drip, but the team was able to relax, finally knowing the team was together and safe.

* * *

Reid and Emily had both been released from the hospital and now were staying with Morgan. Neither of them would verbally own up to it, but they were grateful for Morgan's presence. He was the most physically forbidding of the team and made them feel a little more protective. Clooney was also a rather large dog and while he was sweet, he had an intimidating bark. Morgan hated the screams from the nightmares they struggled with every night. He would tiptoe into their rooms and sit on the edge of their bed and listen. To the people who didn't know him, he appeared to be as a lady's man, a player, and a tough guy, but he truly cared about his friends and family and would do whatever he could to help Reid and Emily heal.

"Hey." Reid had hoped he would never see crutches again after the last time, but he was glad to be moving around. The worst part for him was the mandatory therapy and the time off that he was required to take before he was allowed to return to work. He didn't like being sedentary. It made him uncomfortable to be stuck on the couch for the vast majority of the day. It was great comfort to him that Emily was around. It kept his mind from returning to the basement.

"Hey pretty boy." Morgan placed a cup of coffee on the counter in front of Reid. "I'm working from nine to seven. I left plenty of orange juice and water in the refrigerator and some leftovers from dinner last night for lunch." Morgan hated leaving them alone all day, but they had all used up all of their vacation days and Strauss had told them they needed to return to work. Strauss had assigned two temporary agents to the unit since Emily and Reid would have to go through extensive counseling before being allowed back on duty. The team had tried to make the two agents feel at home, but all they wanted to do was be with Reid and Emily and it had resulted in frayed tempers and multiple outbursts.

"Thanks." Reid smiled. The antibiotics that the doctors had put him on made him sleepy and he would probably head back to bed for a few more hours of sleep if he could after Morgan went to work. "I'm really grateful you let us stay here."

"Pretty boy, you can stay here for as long as you need." Morgan liked having the extra people in the house. "Healing is a process and I'm going to be here for as long as you need me."

Thanks so much guys for sticking through this story with me! I know that's sort of a cliffhanger, but I just kind of felt this is where I should end it It's been a pleasure! Hopefully you guys check out my other fan fictions! Actually, I just realized! This is my first finished multi-chapter fan fic! I can't believe it! :)


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